By one QB metric, Smith’s performance was peerless

How good was Alex Smith in the 49ers’ 48-3 rout of the Buccaneers on Sunday?

No quarterback has been better in 2011.

At least that’s the case according to ESPN’s “Total QBR” ranking system, which takes more data into account (rushing, sacks, penalties etc.) than what is used to comprise a traditional quarterback rating. The new metric, which debuted this season, is supposed to offer a better assessment of a quarterback’s contributions to his team’s scoring and winning.

In Total QBR, signal-callers are ranked on a 0-100 scale where 50 is average, 65 is around Pro-Bowl level and over 75 in MVP-quality play.

Smith was at his best on San Francisco’s first three drives, completing 6 of 7 passes for 92 yards with a touchdown and drawing a 24-yard pass interference penalty that set up first-and-goal and Frank Gore’s touchdown run two plays later. Smith wasn’t as efficient later in the game, but those stats weren’t weighted as heavily because the 49ers were winning by roughly 817 points.

* Per ESPN Stats & Info, here are the top single-game Total QBRs this season:

Alex Smith, 49ers (Week 5 vs. Tampa Bay): 98.2

Matt Hasselbeck, Titans (Week 4 at Cleveland): 97.8

Aaron Rodgers, Packers (Week 4 vs. Denver): 96.2

Tony Romo, Cowboys (Week 2 at San Francisco): 94.6

Jason Campbell, Raiders (Week 2 at Buffalo): 93.3

* Smith ranks 16th in Total QBR this season (53.2), although ESPN’s stats are tentative as of this morning. Click here for the season stats.